The video game market has grown tremendously since the advent of readily available computer systems and growth of the Internet. Video game designers or developers create video games while targeting specific demographics of game players. Unfortunately, video games are often developed under the assumption that all game players are equally capable of interacting with game features. Such an assumption can place the game play outside the reach of individuals having one or more disabilities.
Interestingly, a great deal of effort has been applied toward using games of various forms, including computer-based games, to assess or diagnose different types of disabilities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,452 to Wasowicz et al. titled “Diagnostic System and Method for Phonological Awareness, Phonological Processing, and Reading Skill Test”, filed Jul. 9, 1999, describes using graphical games to test a person's phonological abilities. Similarly, U.S. patent application publication 2004/0014021 to Suleiman titled “Apparatus and Method for Evaluating School Readiness”, filed Jul. 17, 2002, describes using computer-based games to evaluate if a child is ready for school. Still further, U.S. patent application publication 2006/0127871 to Grayson titled “Method and Apparatus for Teaching”, filed Feb. 10, 2006, describes tracking a student's progress through interactive computer lessons where the student can be assessed or evaluated for learning disabilities based on their interactions. Although useful for assessing or diagnosing disabilities through a priori constructed games, the techniques disclosed in these references fail to provide insight into how to adapt a game for a disabled game player.
Others have directed their efforts toward customizing games specifically for disabled persons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,290 to Demshuk titled “Game Apparatus for the Handicapped”, filed Aug. 24, 1994, describes table game apparatus adapted for use by a person having physical or mental handicaps. Another example includes U.S. patent application 2004/0212149 to Farmer titled “Social Skill Builder Game”, filed Apr. 21, 2004, which describes a board game adapted to develop and improve behavior skills for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Still further, U.S. patent application 2008/0070682 to Woody titled “Systems and Methods for Providing Educational Games for Use by Young Children, and Digital Storage Mediums for Storing the Educational Games Thereon”, filed Aug. 15, 2007, discusses providing a controller that can be grasped by a young child or person with a disability. These references also specifically contemplate a priori constructed games or game elements to make the game accessible to a disabled person.
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The above references fail to appreciate that a game designer, especially a video game designer, requires insight into how to adapt their specific game under development for disabled individuals. In addition, the references fail to provide for a disabled person to identify which games would be accessible to their specific circumstances. Thus there is a need for obtaining recommendations on mapping games or game features to aspects of disabilities.
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